Board president says crowd 'out of control, vicious'

Friday

Board president Sue Timmons said the audience at a heated Ashland City Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday was "out of control and vicious."

During the three-hour meeting, audience members heckled, applauded and called out to the board when Timmons attempted to limit public comment about a controversy surrounding the contract of guidance counselor Penny Hamilton.

"This group, from the very first minute, there was no one following the rules. When I asked nicely, they talked back," she said Thursday.

Timmons limited discussion significantly at the meeting, a move she said was motivated by the demeanor of the crowd. Board member Charles Fulk placed two 911 calls requesting police assistance, saying, "We have an unruly crowd and we have people that need to be removed." A police officer showed up, but took no action.

"I have never seen Ashlanders that out of control and vicious," said Timmons. "There were children there that night. And people say the board doesn't care about children? Well, what kind of example did they set for children at that meeting?"

Timmons said the crowd was not interested in honoring the rules or requests of public officials, something she said she'd never seen at any public meeting in Ashland in 30 years of attending meetings and serving on public bodies.

Timmons traced the roots of the hostile environment that has developed back to impassioned comments made by Supt. Jim Jones in response to a board e-mail controversy at a May 25, 2006, board meeting.

TImmons said Sarah Hart, an Ashland High School student who tried to speak about Hamilton, was reduced to tears not by her but by adults who were pushing her too hard to speak at the meeting. Timmons told Hart not to speak about Hamilton, a request the board president said Hart was ready to heed.

"There were adults that pushed her forward," said Timmons. "She was crying because she was getting mixed messages. She was willing to respect the reasonable request. Now you tell me that those people care about kids."

Hart saw things differently when contacted Thursday. She said she felt insulted by Timmons "ignoring" her at the meeting when she came up to the microphone to make remarks.

"I haven't been as insulted as I was when she told me I couldn't speak," said Hart. "I felt like I was part of the public and should have been able to speak and she was denying me that by ignoring me," she said.

Hart was the only student who got the chance to speak at the meeting.

"Mr. Jones stood up for me because she completely ignored the fact that I was standing up there," Hart said.

Hamilton's contract has not been voted on by the board since the issue was first raised in May. Timmons wouldn't say why the contract had never gotten onto a board agenda.

"We might still vote on it, I don't know." said Timmons.

Hamilton's contract, as it stood on an addendum submitted to the board (but not accepted) by Supt. Jim Jones at the Tuesday meeting, would have paid her $70,027.61. Hamilton has said she'd be willing to work with the board, including taking a lower salary or volunteering until the board could fulfill Ohio Revised Code procedures.

n Contact Andrew Waldman at 419-281-0581, ext. 243, or by e-mail at awaldman@times-gazette.com.

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